Wedding Day Lead Up
by Aphina
Summary: Various POV: Calleigh and Tim put the past behind them and decide to get married. Read the lead up to their wedding as they deal with life threating illnesses and laughable problems.
1. Chapter 1: Wedding Dress Relapse

Chapter One

Two Months to Go

I'd been standing in this wedding shop for over an hour now staring at racks of dresses.

"Calleigh honey how about this one?" I turn around and find Alexx holding a grotesque frilled dress up in front of me, Valera aiding her. I crossed my arms in front of me.

"It looks like someone has vomited flowers up on the outside of it." I told her grimly. Alexx's eyes widened and she stifled a laugh.

"Isn't someone a little grouchy this morning?" Alexx said pointedly returning the dress to its original place.

"We've been trawling around wedding shops for ours on end; it's our first weekend off in ages. I guess I'm just getting antsy because my weddings in two months time and we don't have a dress." I admitted, flapping my hand by my face, I felt myself flushing hot. It spread through my skin as if an infection seeping through each pore. I put it down to the Miami sun and the weariness of the morning. We'd been doing this, would you believe all morning.

"I'll tell you what…" Valera spoke moving in between me and Alexx, slowly. She gave us both an enthusiastic smile.

"How about we go find a café, catch a coffee and a sandwich and then pick up where we left off?" I nodded in response, feeling tired. I wasn't really hungry, but anything to get out of this personal hell. This was getting me nowhere except aggravated. Alexx moved up to me, with a concerned look on her face she put her hand against my forehead, frowning, her eyes meeting mine calmly.

"Are you alright Calleigh? You're looking kind of pale." Alexx asked me searching my face. I looked back honestly. I didn't know what was wrong with me.

"Just tired, it's hot in here. The wedding's stressing me out a little." I confessed to her. Alexx looked at me sympathetically

"It does that to everyone honey, but just imagine how great your big day is going to be." Alexx reassured moving towards the door, I nodded in reply and followed them both out onto the side walk. Valera led us along the street walking slowly. The sun was dazzling out here; I felt its warm touch stroking my skin gently. Ever since I'd moved up here I'd loved the contrast to the sun in my own home.

"I know this really great place just around the corner." Valera's talking interrupted my thinking. Tuning back in I realized what she was telling us as we drifted past shop windows. I glanced at them disconcerted as we walked down the street. There was nothing that I could say really peaked my interest. Nausea filled me for a second, making me catch my breath. Dizziness over took me, making me sway slightly. My head was moving faster than I was. I forced myself to stop, leaning against a shop window to clear my head. Valera and Alexx stopped, and returned to me when they realized I wasn't following them. Alexx reached out a hand to gently touch my arm. I turned my head towards her, taking a deep breath to calm myself; I had never felt like this before. I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

"Calleigh…?" I looked up and through the window for the first time since I'd lent on it.

"Oh God… That's it." I could feel Alexx's eyes on me concerned, her face very near mine.

"What Calleigh honey, what's it?" Alexx asked me. I focused on her, remembering at once she was there. I knew my mouth was hanging open in a un-lady like fashion. I was momentarily stunned, unsure what to do or say. I could feel Valera standing behind me.

"Uh…Alexx…" she said. I watched Alexx's face as she raised her head to the window.

"Oh my…" she trailed off temporarily speechless. I followed her gaze, letting my eyes rest on it.

"My thoughts exactly." I told her feeling a little better. I put my hands on my hips and stood up straight.

We were staring at the most beautiful white dress I had ever laid my own pretty green eyes on. I knew instantly in the forefront of my heart, that it was the one I was going to wear on my wedding day. The top half was like a bodice with thin off the shoulder straps. It curved down towards centre of the chest. The bottom of the dress was shaped like a ball gown outwards. It was simple, yet elegant.

"You wanna go in and try it on?" Alexx asked. My dizzy spell was temporally forgotten. Just the way I like it, there was no point in making a fuss. Images of my wedding plagued my mind. My eyes were still on the dress analyzing every fine detail of it.

"Do I?" I said eagerly, rushing to the door of the shop with Alexx and Valera following me closely.

"Wow, Calleigh you look beautiful." Valera spoke softly as I looked up at my reflection in the wide silver mirror. I was glad I was wearing my hair loose today. The curls over lapped the dress gently. I was puzzled for a few seconds as I watched Alexx in the mirror, standing behind me examining something on my back.

"Is something wrong Alexx?" I asked, frowning. I turned to face her head on.

"There's a tear in the back, it's only a little one, can be easily fixed. Take the dress off and we'll get the owner to take a look at it." She comforted, with a hand on my bear shoulder. I guess my thoughts had been visible on my face. Trusting her I moved towards the changing rooms to retrieve my normal clothes.

I was in the changing room when it happened. I'd just got out of the wedding dress. I hung it up on the hanger in front of me. Everything happened slowly after that. I saw the dress sway, and then realized it's not the dress that is moving it's me. I tried to steady myself against the side of the cubical with no avail; I was slipping backwards now away from the dress, I'm guessing I went through the curtain. I tried to grab it as I went down but missed it in my current state of disorientation. As darkness faded in I found myself staring at the ceiling with Alexx calling my name.


	2. Chapter 2: Asking Delko

Chapter Two

"Hey Speed, you done my fibres yet?" Eric's loud voice boomed through the silence of the trace lab as I bent over the microscope analyzing the yellow thread from the Devoli case. I looked up slowly and found myself staring at him thoughtfully as he entered the lab. I rolled my eyes at him in his direction when he met my gaze.

"Delko, come here for a sec will you?" I said to him my facial expression serious. Catching the mood I was in, Delko's face changed to match it. He took the stool next to me as I returned my left eye to the microscope.

"What's up man?" he asked me quietly. His voice told me he was concerned. I pulled away from the scope and swivelled in my stool to face him.

"Mine and Calleigh's wedding…" I began hesitating. Delko leaned forward in disbelief, his mouth working.

"Are you having doubts about your wedding?" Delko asked, his expression said shock, it was similar to the one he was wearing when we told him that me and Calleigh had been dating behind his back for a while, and the same one when we told everyone we were getting married. It was more total surprise rather than doubting. He thought it was something he should of seen coming. There was silence for several seconds between us, as we sat looking at each other blankly. I'd never had any doubts on this. It was taking me a while to process what he'd said.

"What the hell would make you think that?" I cried out incredulously. Delko's face softened slightly. For a second I saw relief.

"So no second thoughts?" he asked still a little unsure. I could feel my brow furrowing.

"It would be really dumb to take it back after I spent months working up the nerve to propose." I told him stubbornly.

"So how come you invited me into your humble abode?" he asked me thoughtfully. It occurred to me I'd have to do this sooner or later. When it came to this choice it was always going to be Delko every time.

"About the wedding…" I said pausing again. I didn't know how to approach something like this. Hell Calleigh was a lot better at this than I was.

"Spit it out Speed." Delko laughed at my discomfort. I shifted uneasily.

"I don't have a best man yet. I was wondering if you would do it." I put my eye to the telescope, so I couldn't gauge his reaction, or rather so he couldn't gauge mine. I felt his hand clap my back harshly.

"I was wondering when you were gonna ask." He told me as I pulled back from the scope, glaring at him. If he knew I was gonna ask him to do it, why didn't he say something before hand?

"Then why did you let me stutter through it like that?" I asked him grimacing at him. He laughed as he moved towards the door.

"Anyway…" I continued. "What made you think I was gonna ask you?" I called out to him as he gripped the door handle.

"Like you have any other friends." He said as if a matter of fact.

"Always the comedian." I remarked. Unfortunately his statement was kind of true. My friends consisted of cops and C.S.I's. I knew some of the most brilliant minds in the state, so that really didn't faze me. Returning to my work I was yet again interrupted by a shrill ringing noise. It took me a few seconds to be pulled out of my thoughts and realize what it was. My cell phone was ringing again. I'd considered switching it off, with the amount of calls I'd received recently. Picking it up I recognized Alexx's number. Was she supposed to be shopping with Calleigh? I thought vaguely. Shaking off the cold feeling, I answered it with my usual greeting.

"Speedle." I heard the stool behind me hit the floor as I felt myself stand up absentmindedly forgetting it was there. Calleigh had collapsed. The thought numbed my brain and any other thoughts it could have. I felt myself being propelled towards the door as Alexx spoke. I was already in the parking lot by the time she hung up, leg swinging over the bike in order to race to the hospital as fast as possible. The test results had come back, and they weren't good.


	3. Chapter 3: Losing Her?

Chapter Three

I don't remember the drive over to the hospital, only the pounding of my heart as I struggled to reach it. Alexx had told me they were in the emergency room. Stepping into the hospital filled me with a cold sense of fear. It vaguely reminded me of the reason I didn't get involved with people. Immediately I felt guilty. I loved Calleigh, I was glad we had each other. I wondered if she was scared. I knew in the back of my mind, it didn't matter how scared I was, just how bad it was for her. I hated the thought of not being able to protect her. It drove me insane with helplessness. My vision was hazy as I reached the reception area of A and E. I saw Alexx standing over Valera, who hugged herself, looking pale and drained. Alexx looked at me sadly. The look in her eyes, that's when I knew it, I knew Calleigh was dead; there was nothing I could do. My lover had died. My breath caught in my throat as my body moved on its own accord. I felt sobs wracking up through my chest as I placed myself in front of Alexx. I couldn't do this. I couldn't go on if Calleigh wasn't here with me. It had taken so long to find her. She was my soul mate, my lover, my friend, my conscience. Pain was running through me like it never had before. I wanted to scream, I wanted to yell and cry and tell God how it wasn't fair for him to take Calleigh away from me. There was silence, as the room moved away from me. I felt small droplets slide down my cheeks. Something touched my shoulder.

"Timmy?" Alexx's soft voice pierced through my veil of sorrow. I turned my head towards her but found myself unable to face her.

"The doctors want to talk to you, with Calleigh. She's had a bit of a shock." Alexx told me. I felt my own head snap up, my voice when I spoke quivered in disbelief.

"She's alive?" I croaked. Alexx put her hands on her hips.

"Of course she's alive sugar." Alexx reassured me; she pulled my arm gently guiding me to the worried looking Valera. Alexx nudged me towards a chair where I tried to compose myself by wiping my salty eyes with my hands. Valera stood up, smiling down at me grimly; she looked childlike in response to what had happened.

"I'll go tell the doctors you're here." She told me, walking slowly to the reception. To be honest I think she really just wanted something to do. I didn't blame her. I think we all felt useless. I moved my head slightly to catch Alexx's eyes, whilst playing with my hands.

"What happened to her Alexx? I thought you guys were dress shopping today." I said smiling at the thought of Calleigh in a wedding dress. She looked radiant in anything, yet a wedding dress something new to fantasise about. Alexx's eyes left mine for a brief second as she leaned on her hands.

"We were. Calleigh complained that she was getting hot, and she was pale. We were in the dress shop changing rooms when it happened. She just fainted, we didn't see it coming sugar. I'm sorry." She told me, regret was in her tone. She felt responsible, in her mind she should have seen it, in my mind she couldn't of. I put an arm around her comfortingly.

"I'm sure you did the best you could Alexx." I said to her honestly. I glanced up surprised, seeing Valera rushing towards us; I stood up suddenly seeing she had a doctor in tow.

"Mr Speedle?" he asked quietly, his solid oak eyes met mine. I looked into them searching for answers as we shook hands. I knew what I must look like. I was scruffy, and rough looking, a dark green button up shirt over black jeans. The guy was probably thinking how a guy like me ended up with a goddess like Calleigh. The doctor took no time at all guiding all three of us into a small child's looking room. I guessed this was the family room, where they issued all their bad news. I felt my heart clench when I first stepped inside. Alexx was close behind me followed by Valera; nausea began to overtake me as we reached the centre of it and sat down in the chairs Dr Ty Riviera had gestured to around a small cheap looking coffee table. Sweat ran down my entire body, I felt restless. I wanted to see Calleigh and examine every part of her just to check she was still here with us. I rubbed my palms together feeling them every inch as soaked as the rest of me. As Dr Ty sat down I found myself leaning closer, to hang on his every word.

"Mr Speedle, I'm afraid to inform you that it appears your fiancé has developed something called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. It is a cardiovascular syndrome, it affects the ventricles of the heart making them react too quickly, giving Calleigh an irregular heartbeat." It took me a few minutes to take in what the doctor was saying. Calleigh was sick, was the short fall of it.

"Doctor how bad is it?" Alexx asked quietly. I watched the doctor as he focused his attention on her.

"The worst is over right now; her fainting spell basically was her body telling her what was going on. Due to your quick thinking, her life was saved, we were able to minimize the damage and I'm happy to say that with the right medication Calleigh will get better, she will however have to take some time off." He told us, looking pointedly at me.

"You tried telling her that?" I asked him with a warm smile. Could I imagine Calleigh taking time off? No way. Dr Ty returned the smile.

"I thought I'd let you do that." He told me rising to his feet.

"I will be monitoring Calleigh's progress over the next few weeks to ensure, she is getting better, I plan to keep her in overnight for observation, will you be able to pick her up in the morning Mr Speedle?" he asked me as we all followed suit. I nodded thoughtfully stretching out my hand to shake his again.

"Thank you Doctor." I said earnestly. Dr Ty looked at me openly.

"I'm just glad I could help such a lovely young woman." The term struck odd with me.

"Are we allowed to see her doc?" Valera broke my train of thought leading me to wait for the answer to that question. Doctor Ty moved to the door nodding.

"She'll awake within the last few hours." He confirmed opening the door and holding it open for us all. I was the last one out of the room. I turned to the doctor on the way out.

"Thank you doctor… for everything." I spoke quietly. Doctor Ty smiled wistfully before adding.

"My pleasure."


End file.
